Amy Winehouse autopsy inconclusive, parents thank fans

AP PHOTO funeral director pushes a wheeled stretcher carrying the body of singer Amy Winehouse, who was found dead in her home on July 23, ro a waiting vehicle from the St Pancras Mortuary in London Monday July 25, 2011. Winehouse's parents formally identified her body, and visited mourners outside her home to thank them for their support, as examiners conducted an autopsy to determine the cause of the troubled singer's death at the age of 27.

LONDON (AP) — An autopsy on singer Amy Winehouse Monday failed to
determine what killed the 27-year-old star, leaving fans and family with
a weeks-long wait for the results of toxicology tests.

Winehouse’s devastated parents visited mourners outside her north London
home to thank them for their support, ahead of a private family funeral
that could be held as early as Tuesday.

The singer, who had struggled with drug and alcohol abuse for years, was
found dead Saturday at home by a member of her security team, who
called an ambulance. It arrived too late to save her.

The Metropolitan Police said Monday that a forensic post mortem “did not
establish a formal cause of death and we await the results of further
toxicology tests.” Those are expected to take two to four weeks.

An inquest into the singer’s death was opened and adjourned at London’s
St. Pancras Coroner’s Court. During the two-minute hearing, an official
read out the name, birth date and address of Winehouse, described as “a
divorced lady living at Camden Square NW1.”

“She was a singer songwriter at the time of her death and was identified
by her family here at St. Pancras this morning,” said coroner’s officer
Sharon Duff.

Duff said the scene of Winehouse’s death “was investigated by police and determined non-suspicious.”

In Britain, inquests are held to establish the facts whenever someone
dies violently or in unexplained circumstances. Assistant Deputy Coroner
Suzanne Greenaway said Winehouse’s inquest would resume on Oct. 26.

The singer’s father, mother and brother visited her home on Monday,
stopping to inspect the mounds of bouquets, candles and handwritten
notes across the road from the Victorian house.

Her father, Mitch Winehouse, thanked mourners for their tributes.

“I can’t tell you what this means to us — it really is making this a lot easier for us,” he said.

“We’re devastated and I’m speechless but thanks for coming.”

The singer’s mother, Janis, was in tears as she examined the flowers,
candles, vodka bottles, flags, drawings and handwritten cards left by
neighbors, fans and well-wishers. Many of the offerings expressed the
same sentiment: “What a waste.”

“I’ll remember her as a troubled soul,” said fan Ethna Rouse, who
brought her 4-year-old son to leave a bouquet. “Like many artists in the
world — they are tortured souls, and that’s where the talent comes
from.”

The singer had battled her demons in public, too often making
headlines for erratic behavior, destructive relationships and abortive
performances.

But she was remembered fondly by her neighbors in Camden, the
creative but gritty neighborhood where she lived on and off for years.

“She was too young to die and too talented, and too beautiful,” said
Peggy Conlon, landlady of the Dublin Castle pub, where Winehouse
occasionally stopped for a drink. “She’s sorely missed by everyone, not
one person had a bad word to say about that kid.”

Last month, Winehouse canceled her European comeback tour after she
swayed and slurred her way through barely recognizable songs in her
first show in the Serbian capital, Belgrade. Booed and jeered off stage,
she flew home and her management said she would take time off to
recover.

Her last public appearance came three days before her death, when
she briefly joined her goddaughter, singer Dionne Bromfield, on stage at
The Roundhouse in Camden, near her home.

Actor Russell Brand, a former drug addict, wrote a lengthy tribute
in which he urged the media and public to change the way addiction is
perceived — “not as a crime or a romantic affectation but as a disease
that will kill.”

“Winehouse and I shared an affliction, the disease of addiction,” he
wrote. “Addiction is a serious disease; it will end with jail, mental
institutions or death.”

Winehouse released only two albums in her lifetime — 2003’s “Frank”
and the chart-topping “Back to Black” in 2006. Both shot up the music
charts as fans bought them to remember her by.

Gennaro Castaldo of music chain HMV said “Back to Black” was the
retailer’s best-selling album. It was also iTunes’ No. 1 album in more
than a dozen countries including the U.S., Britain, France, Germany and
Canada.

Celebrity fans continued to pay tribute to an artist whose appeal crossed genres and generations.

On Twitter, singer George Michael called her “the most soulful vocalist this country has ever seen.”

“I hope she is at peace now,” he added.

Soul singer Adele — one of a generation of British chanteuses whose
success Winehouse helped make possible — said Winehouse “paved the way
for artists like me and made people excited about British music again
whilst being fearlessly hilarious and blase about the whole thing.”

“Although I’m incredibly sad about Amy passing I’m also reminded of
how immensely proud of her I am as well, and grateful to be inspired by
her,” Adele wrote on her website.